The hallmark of Christian faith is a firm and committed
relationship with Jesus Christ. There is
no way around it, this takes time and effort on our parts. Developing a pattern
of daily prayer is the best way to make this relationship grow. It's as simple
as talking to Jesus - out loud or to yourself, it makes no difference. An informal way to pray is at the end of the
day to simply share your life with Jesus. Share your joys and your challenges,
ask for help, say thank you.

You can follow a more formal pattern by saying daily Morning
and Evening Prayer. A good daily prayer book is this one from Forward Movement
Press or you can use the Book of Common Prayer. You can also find many
resources for on-line daily prayer, some delivered to your e-mail address,
others as podcasts you can subscribe to.

Many people make prayer beads or use stones and shells or
other natural items as reminders of prayer. A good pattern to follow is to
praise God, give thanks to God, ask forgiveness for your sins, pray for others,
and then pray for your own needs. You'll find that by saving prayers for
yourself for last, you'll be more tuned in to what you really need and want in
life and what you have to offer life in return.